Every person who goes through a job loss needs two things: support and a network.

Losing a job is the most traumatic experience—after death and divorce—for an individual. It not only hurts financially, but also emotionally. So during this time, more than anything, a person needs support. Where do they get that support? Support best comes in the form of the small group. The vast majority of our attendees at Community Christian Church are in small groups, where they are doing life together. We believe a small group of Christ-followers have everything they need to get each other through anything! The small group is the place where they can go to have people pray with them; talk with them; and help them financially. If the small group finds that it doesn’t have all the resources it needs, then it looks to the larger church to support that group through this tough time.

Once a person recovers emotionally from the shock of job loss, what they now need is a new place of employment. The best network for finding a new job is your local church. The church is a place where people know each other and can recommend each other with a high level of confidence. Almost every week, I get a resume from someone within Community Christian Church that I keep close by until I can pass it along to someone who is looking for that type of individual.

To get people through the trauma of job loss, we need to create churches that provide both emotional and spiritual support, but also a network of opportunity.